College Students on Parents Car Insurance

College students on their parents' car insurance policies present a unique insurance challenge to both families and to industry professionals. They are generally not living at home year round, and their specific driving habits and circumstances can vary widely. Students who are under the age of 25 pay age related surcharges for their coverage, but these fees are sometimes minimized by being included in a family policy. There are many concerns and complication unique to college students as they apply to auto insurance. It is a time of transition both for the young drivers and for their families, and can be a very expensive time if care is not taken to minimize costs as much as possible.

Driving Habits of College Students

The driving habits of college students can have a great influence on the prices they pay for their auto insurance protection. Some collegiate drivers own their own vehicles and keep them with them on campus or wherever they live. Others live in dorm rooms and walk or bike to class and do not own a vehicle at all. A third group largely drives only on break and during the summer when they are home from school. Most college students who are enrolled full time and who live on campus do not fit any traditional pattern of driving behavior. So, finding affordable ways to fit them into insurance policies can be quite a challenge for these drivers and their parents.

When your child reaches college age and goes away to school, the complexion of your family auto policy changes because that collegiate driver is no longer under your roof and driving as regularly as she did while in high school. The location of the vehicle might change, and for students who go to school out of state, additional consideration come into play if they do take a vehicle with them to school.

Living Situation is a Factor

The living situation your college or university students find themselves in does make a difference. A student who lives in a dorm and does not bring a car to school at all can probably reduce coverage during the school year. If your student does not drive at all while school is in session and only drives a car at home during the summer break, you can often get certain areas of coverage suspended on their policy to save money on your premiums. But this kind of decision can only be made if you are sure your student will not be driving at all during the school year. If the car they drive will be in use at all, it needs to be insured. Correspondingly, if the student driver is going to be driving at all, they need to be insured even during the school calendar.

Students who commute to school have completely different coverage needs. Their coverage should never be limited in any way because they are always driving back and forth between work, school and home. Then there are those who go to college out of state and drive their cars to and from campus when they go back and forth. If your student spends most of his time out of state, it is possible he may need to get an insurance policy and a drivers license in the state where his college is located. You can always find out this kind of information from your local insurance provider. Do not ever assume anything when unusual situations like this arise. It is always better to ask and find out for sure.

Save on Student Insurance Policies

Student insurance policies can sometimes be a financial burden to parents and to the young drivers themselves. But there are ways you can save money on student car insurance policies and make your premiums more palatable as a policy holder and a parent. For example, most insurance providers offer good student discounts for drivers who meet age, enrollment and grade point average requirements. Low mileage policies are available from some providers and can take the bite out of premiums for those who do not drive for part of the year and only need their car keys in the summer. And there are many other ways to save as well.

Contact your auto insurance provider about how you can structure your child's insurance protection to make sure they are covered adequately while also maximizing cost savings. The specifics of your child's living situation and driving habits will likely dictate the direction you should go in pursuit of premium savings. Get all the information you can on this unique area of concern for policy holders. Read up on ways you can work to save money. Don't spend more than you have to when you have college students on parents' car insurance.